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{ The secret is Out: How you can Live a Life that you Love }

I’ve been hinting at it for weeks and here it is…The big secret that I’ve been holding on to! The changes that are coming to Elle is for Love and what that means for you and how you will be able to create a life that you love. Because you deserve to live your dream life.

I’m feeling all the feels right now as I’m writing this blogpost. I feel excited, nervous, inspired, scared…why? Because there have been a lot of positive changes lately and I’ve been holding on to a secret that I’m SO excited to share with you today. I wanted to take the time and give you some context and background on what’s been cooking in Seppy’s kitchen to clarify the direction the blog is going to take so that you know what to expect and to get you excited (because I sure am!).

I’ve been dropping a lot of hints on Instagram, Twitter and the newsletter about some of the changes that are coming to Elle is for Love. Well, the day has come…! And if you filled out the survey I sent a few weeks ago (if you did, THANK YOU!) then you might have picked up on clues in some of the questions.

Well, here we go…

{ What’s been happening }

Since the beginning of February, I’ve been working with my blog coach, Sheila from In Search of Sheila, to help me build a clear vision and direction for Elle is for Love. And boy, in just a couple of weeks, I feel like I’ve gained so much clarity and momentum which is getting me SO excited for what’s coming next. (PS. If you’re a blogger, you NEED to check out her blog and coaching services, I can’t recommend it enough!)

Sheila has been helping me and pushing me to dig deep and go through the emotions and thought process of what my purpose and mission is for Elle is for Love. We worked on the branding, the mission statement, the vision and everything in between. She helped me work out my short-term and long-term goals, and from there, I’ve been able to figure out the changes that need to happen in the next few months.

The first change was… the website. Clearly, the website got a revamp, which falls in line with the changes that Elle is for Love is going to see this year. I wanted something that was more in line with my vision for the blog. I wanted something feminine, light and happy.

I wanted to create a more inspiring and inviting space where I can build an engaged community of authentic and passionate women where we can share, encourage and inspire each other to achieve our goals. And I hope that I’m achieving that vision with the colours, fonts and layout of the website.

{ Why change? }

I’m the type of person that needs to have purpose and direction. I need to wake up every morning with an objective in mind and a clear idea of what I need to accomplish. Yes, it can be exhausting and I’m learning that self-care also needs to be part of my daily goals, but generally speaking, I’m talking about my life’s purpose.

I know we’re going into deep sh*t right now but hey, that’s the whole point of this blogpost.

For the longest time, I felt unmotivated and depressed. I didn’t have purpose. My days were a routine and I was just going through the motions. I wanted to quickly finish my Master’s degree so that I could start working full-time. Then I got a full-time job and I was miserable and even more depressed, so I wanted another change. Then I got another job and I still felt miserable.

Until I realized that the problem wasn’t my job or how I’m feeling. The problem was that I didn’t have a real purpose and direction in life. I didn’t know the WHY behind my life and what I was meant to do (told you, deep sh*t).

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I know, I know, it sounds really dramatic and honestly, at the time, it felt like an existential crisis (and it probably was). Looking back, I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to start paving my way towards fulfilling my life’s purpose because I feel like I’m in such a better place today.

{ My story }

Since I’ve been little, I’ve always wanted to help people. But I never really knew how.

I spent the better part of my childhood in Guinea, Africa, where on a daily basis, we faced extremes of poverty. And my mind couldn’t understand why I was privileged enough to be able to have a meal 3 times a day when there were children literally dying from hunger outside our doorstep. This was the initial trigger that made me want to help people.

Fast-forward a few years and we came back to Canada, where life went on. I went to high school, which I hated because I was bullied and felt very lonely (except from my one BFF who I’m grateful to still call a friend today). I hate every minute of it and couldn’t wait until I got out.

During this time, I discovered the work of the United Nations which planted a seed that THIS was how I was going to help change the world – I need to work at the UN!

Then I went to cegep (which is 2 years of pre-university studies here in Quebec) where I began to flourish and come into my own, but it was still challenging in its’ own ways. I experienced my first major heartbreak and I had a hard time getting good grades.

Then I did my undergrad, where things really started to become difficult. I didn’t feel like myself all the time, I didn’t know who I was and felt pulled from every side, from school, friends, family, religion. It was the beginning of a really difficult time in my life. I even struggled with suicidal thoughts and self-harm (this is something that I’ve only shared with a handful of people…).

I started dating my hubby which was the biggest blessing in my life because he offered a strong grounding force in my life. But this came with its own challenges because my family didn’t accept my relationship and I was literally torn apart. This continued for years…

After graduating,I worked for two years at the bank, which is another experience that shaped me into who I am today. I gained some confidence and learned a lot about myself. But the 2-3 hour daily commute and hiding my relationship took a toll on my physical and mental health. And again, I couldn’t wait to get out.

Then I decided to go back to school to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Public Administration. Right before I started, there were many changes that happened at the same time – my middle sister moved to France to study while my older sister got married and moved to Israel with her husband. It was just me and my parents in Montreal. For the sake of my studies and to avoid commuting, I moved downtown into an apartment with two girls. All these big changes at the same time were a lot to handle.

My Master’s degree was challenging AF and to be honest, I still don’t know how I was able to graduate. I thought that this is what I was supposed to do because as a child, I thought that the only way to help people was to do something ‘big’ like work at an NGO or my dream, the United Nations.

My Master’s degree quickly shattered that dream because I realized that the grandiose world-changing ideas I once had of working at the UN had changed. And I was left empty. I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life anymore and I felt completely lost, confused and scared.

Throughout all these experiences, I went through 2 depressions, a 30 pound weight gain. My confidence was shattered because I felt lost, frustrated and confused, and I had no direction in life. I didn’t know what my purpose was.

{ The turning point }

The turning point in my life came in November 2015 when my hubby whisked me away to Paris and proposed. This was completely unexpected considering the circumstances surrounding our relationship. But I think that this instilled in me a belief that “I’m worth it. I’m worth fighting for. My boyfriend is still fighting for me to this day after 8 years of struggles and despite all the forces against us. Why can’t I fight for me?”.

From that point forward, things unfolded for the better.

I began to truly flourish as an individual. I became more confident in myself and letting my personality shine and letting people see my true colours. I got a new job that took a LOT of pressure off my plate. My parents and family accepted my relationship and in August 2016, I got married to the love of my life.

Like many of you, I’ve had my share of challenges in life. For years, I didn’t have direction or hope that it would get better. I didn’t know what to do to lose weight, to figure out my passion, to build a career for myself. I didn’t know how to be happy or how to be myself. I didn’t know what I wanted in life.

But with a lot of time, effort, patience, consistency, I’ve been able to turn my life around. And I’m at a place right now where the overarching emotions that I feel every day are happiness, passion, excitement, intrigue, playfulness, empowerment, emotional and physical strength.

And I want you to feel the same.

So.

How does THAT story relate to Elle is for Love? (And if you’re still reading… thank you and I love you for it!).

This whole story, all my experiences, has led me to this point where I have been able to merge my purpose in life with my passion.

I want to help people. Nothing makes me more happy than being able to help someone, whether on a small scale or on a larger scale.

I’ve always been the person that everyone comes to for advice, whether it’s about what to wear to go out, to what to do to improve their skin, to meal prep tips and tricks, to more intense life decisions like what to do in their relationship.

And I love that role. I love being the older sister and the coach to help anyone overcome a challenge or solve a problem.

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{ The mission of Elle is for Love }

This leads us to the mission of Elle is for Love.

Simply put, I want to help you. I want to help you create and live your dream life.

But Seppy…dream life…? What does that mean?!

A dream life is whatever YOU envision it to be. It might mean that you just want to be content in your 9-5 job and have a family. It might mean that you want to build a business. Or it might mean that you want to challenge yourself by doing crazy adventures.

And that’s the purpose of Elle is for Love. Through this blog and community, I want you to create and build a life that you LOVE. A life that your proud of. A life that gets you excited every single day.

How will you do that Seppy?

By offering inspiration and motivation. By helping you and guiding you through the different tools, steps and actions you can take to figure out WTF you want in life and HOW you can achieve it.

I truly believe that we all have the inner resources and strength to achieve anything that we want. But we just need the right formula to be able to achieve. And I’m here to help you figure that out. To help you figure out what you want in your life and/or how to get it.

It can be something as simple “feel happier” or something CRAZY like “Become a millionaire”.

YES. YOU CAN DO IT. I’ve been able to see the benefits of goal setting and visualization and consistent efforts. I see the changes that I’ve been able to achieve in my life and I’m here to share what I’ve learned along the way with you so that you can do the same.

{ What’s next? }

OH MY GOD SO MUCH!

I finally finalized the website which I’m so happy with, and now I’m working on a resource library so that you can get the tools and resources that you need so that you can get started on your own journey. I’m hoping to launch the resource library by the end of March. If you’re part of the tribe (a.k.a the newsletter) then you will be the first to know the launch date.

Until then, I will be working on weekly blogposts focused on helping you find the inspiration, tools and resources so that you can start dreaming up and creating your dream life.

I also have a few more surprises lined up in the next couple of months, but I wont ruin the surprise just yet on that.

So. Tell me. What are you thinking? Are you excited??

For me to create the best tools and resources for you guys, I need to hear from you! Leave a comment below and share your biggest challenge in achieving your goals, or send me DM on Instagram or Twitter. I want to hear from you! I’m here to help, so USE ME!

Until next time…

Get access to this EXCLUSIVE goal-setting resource library where you will find action-based guides, inspiration, tips, worksheets and resources that you need to help you create and build your dream like so that you can SLAY your goals!

Comments

Oh my goodness, this post SPOKE to me today like you can’t believe! I didn’t know you lived in Africa for a while, that must have been an incredible and enlightening experience. I relate to to so much of what you wrote here, I don’t even know where to start… wanting to help people, going through depression, questioning my purpose – YES to ALL of those!!! I’m so glad I jumped onto your blog today, because it’s helped reiterate where I’m at right now. I literally just emailed my blogging community an hour ago about shifts and changing happening in my life and with the blog. So crazy! Your blog looks awesome by the way – it really gives off an non-intrusive, inviting and totally authentic feel. Thanks so much for sharing your story here, I’m sure it’s going to inspire and help many women – just like it did me today. 🙂 xx

Thank you SO much for your encouraging and positive comment Melanie. It made me smile when I first read it!!! I’m happy to hear that you relate to what I was saying in this post – I think that a lot of us are always looking for our purpose in life without realizing it but I’m also happy to hear that you’re working on that too!!! XO

While I often have “off” days at my job, or stress and struggle at work, I think overall my career lets me have a really fulfilling life that I love. I’m not good with settling into a routine or doing the same thing all the time, and my job is constantly changing and active. I’m a children’s librarian, so I get to be creative and I get to feel like I sometimes make a difference in kids’ lives.

I know how you feel Julie! I felt the same way for a while and I had to re-assess HOW I spent my time to make sure that I was being productive and efficient. Have you tried time-blocking? And maybe even tracking how you’re spending your time? Maybe you need to re-assess what your priorities are and some things need to be put on the backburner? For example, as much as I love cooking, I can’t cook every day so I’ve had to find alternative and less time consuming solutions!

This article REALLY hit home, I question this daily. I cannot wait to read more of your stuff. For me, I constantly struggle with having to do a 9-5 for monetary reasons, knowing that I don’t love every step of the way. I’ve accepted that, but how can I make my day to day more of something that I “love”, ya know?! Would love to see those resources from you!!

I love this Seppy! I can just feel your excitement and enthusiasm and I’m looking forward to seeing what you have planned! I’ve recently been working on my blog’s purpose too and I feel like we’re on a similar-ish path! 🙂 My biggest hurdle is letting go of the worry about what other people think – in relation to blogging but also with other areas of life too. I’ve been blogging for years but still feel so uncomfortable when I think about people I know finding out about my blog. It was even preventing me from mentioning/promoting my blog on instagram for a long time! I am slowly overcoming this block but it’s still a big thing for me, so I would love to hear any advice you have on that topic!
Lots of Love!
Lauren xx

I love this. I share your enthusiasm for making a big impact by helping people follow their dreams. This year my inspirational word is “dream”. I believe we all have something inside us to contribute to the world and love helping people doscover it.

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Hi there!

Hi! I’m Seppy and I'm passionate about LIFE and living every day to its fullest. I love to laugh, to bullet journal and I’m a self-proclaimed chocoholic (if it doesn’t have chocolate, it’s not dessert).

I’m here to help you create and live your dream life by giving you a daily dose of inspiration, encouragement and that kick in the butt that you need to #DreamBig and bring your goals to life. Are you ready?

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